Window sash fastener or holder



June 4, 1940. 4c. z. HAYES WINDOW SASH FASTENEB OR HOLDER F11-ed oct. 12, 1955 IIN/6221102 @Ww Z. @wwf Patented June 4, 1940 UNITED STATES s'rENER on HOLDER Carlton Z. Hayes, Bualo, N. Y., assignor of one- I third to Walter L. Bradley, Eggertsville, N. Y., and one-third to Russell H. Gowland, Buffalo,

Application October 12, 1938, Serial No. 234,646

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a window sash fastener or holder whereby two relatively movable Window sashes or similar building members upon being closed, may be securely locked in a closed position so that neither one of these sashescan be opened from the exterior of the building and this fastener o r holder also permits of interlocking two win-dow sashes after the same have been opened more or less and prevents a greater opening of the same from the exterior of the building. Although this device is primarily intended for preventing entrance into the building by operating the windows from the exterior and thus serve more particularly for preventing unlawful intrusion, this window sash fastener or holder is also useful for retaining the window sashes in whatever position the same may have been adjusted lso as to prevent small children from operating the sashes from the inside and possibly falling out of the window after opening the sashes.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a sash fastener for this purpose which is of very simple and inexpensive construction, which is light and durable so that the same can be carried about for use by travelers in order to prevent unlawful entrance through the windows of any room which they may occupy and which is also very strong and durable and not liable to get out of order.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of the adjacent or meeting portions of two window sashes which vare provided with this improved fastener or holder for preventing relative movement of the same in a direction which would uncover the window opening. i

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the improved window sash fastener or holder.

v Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof, partly ln section. y

Figs. 5 and 6 are. vertical transverse sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 3L y 4 In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Although this improved fastener or holder may be used in connection with window sashes of various constructions for the purpose of preventing movement thereof in a direction for opening the same, that form of window which is shown in Fig. 1 in the drawing comprises upright sides or jambs I0 each of which is provided on its face with a pair of outer and inner upright guide grooves Il, I2, an upper window sash i3 slidable at each of its upright edges in the outer guide groove or channel l l of one of the window frames and provided at its loweren'd with a horizontal meeting Vrail Id, and a lower inner sash I5 slidable at each of its vertical edges in the inner guide grooves or channels l2 of the frame and provided at its upper end with a horizontal transverse meeting rail I6. i

When the window sashes are in their fully closed position in the frame so as to completely cover the opening iny the latter, then the two meeting rails I4 and IE are horizontally in line and the inner face Il of the outer meeting rail I4 is opposite the outer face I8 of the upper inner meeting rail` I6, as shown in Fig. l.

In its preferred form the sash fastener or holder shown in the drawing and embodying this invention, is constructed as follows:

The numeral I9. represents a vertically swinging clamping arm which may fbe constructed of wood, aluminum or other light, strong and durable material so that the same, if desired, can be carried about conveniently and used on different windows which may be occupied at a different time. The front end of this clamping arm is provided with agripping jaw which is adapted to be engaged with a vertical surface J on the inner side of the upper sash, which jaw is preferably of a yielding character so as to avoid Inarring. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, this gripping jaw consists of a block 2| which is of .dovetail form and secured in a socket 22 in the front end of the clamping arm which is also of dovetail form. This gripping `block is made of rubber or other resilient material and on its front side the same is provided withy a plurality of serrations 23 whereby the same engages the grippingsurface 20 of the upper window sash and obtains a firm hold thereon when the fastener is mounted in its operative position.

At its rear end the clamping arm is mounted on a base which is adapted to be secured to the upper side of thev meeting rail I6 of the lower sash so that this clamping arm can swing in a vertical plane for engaging and disengaging its gripping jaw with the upper window sash. This base may be variously constructed so that the same can be either :permanently connected with the lower window sash, when the fastener is intended to stay on the sash, or this base may be detachably mountedcn this lower sash if i it is intended to transfer the fastener from one sash to another as would be the case when a person traveling from one place to another wishes to use this fastener on the windows of rooms which he may occupy .at .different times. The preferred form of thisbase, as shown in the drawing, is constructed as follows:

' The numeral 2'4 VV'represents two longitudinal bars which are arranged lengthwise adjacent to opposite sides of the clamping arm I9 and adapted to rest transversely on the upper edge of the lower meeting rail I6 opposite the gripping surface 20 of the upper sash. At its front end each of these base bars is provided with a claw or hook 25 which projects downwardly and is adapted to engage with the front side of the lower or inner meeting rail I6 adjacent to the upper side thereof. The rear or inner end of the clamping arm is pivotally mounted on the rear or inner ends of the base bars 24 and this is preferably accomplished by providing the rear part of this arm with a transverse pivot opening 2E and engaging opposite ends of this pivot opening by means of pintles 2'! forming part of the base. Each of these pintles or pivot pins is formed on the upper end of a neck 28 which is connected at its lower end with the rear end of the respective base bar 24. The pintles 21 of the two bars are arranged axially in line and project toward each other and into opposite ends of the pivot opening 26 of the clamping bar so that the lat ter is capable of swinging vertically on these pintles and thereby forming a hinge connection between this bar and the base of the fastener.

Bracing means are provided for rigidly connecting the two base bars so as to hold their pivot pins or pintles reliably in engagement with the pivot opening of the clamping bar. These brac-- ing means preferably comprise a brace plate 29 which is arranged in the space about midway between the claws and pivot pins of these bars and the opposite ends of this brace plate are connected with these bars by means of connecting sleeves or tubes 30 formed on the opposite longitudinal edges of this plate and secured around the respective parts of these bars. When the twobase bars are thus connected by the brace plate these members form a comparatively rigid structure and hold the pintles 21 reliably in engagement with opposite ends of the clamping bar and prevent the latter from moving sidewise to any appreciable extent and maintain the same in a position in which it can always swing vertically relative to the base.

When it is desired toI use this fastener or holder, thc base is rst placed upon the upper side of the inner meeting rail I6 so that the claws of its base bars engage with the outer side of this rail and then the clamping arm is swung downwardly so that its gripping jaw engages the inner gripping surface 20 of the upper sash at a distance above the base, as shown in Fig. 1. When thus applied to the upper and lower sashes of the window, the clamping arm inclines. from its elevated outer or front end to its inner or rear end so that the horiaontal distance from the pivot of this clamping arm to the gripping face 20 of the upper sash is shorter than the distance from the gripping jaw to the pivot of the clamping arm. If it is now attempted to move the upper sash downwardly or the lower sash upwardly, this movement will be resisted by the locking action of the clamping bar which acts as a toggle clutch at this time in its effort to assume a horizontal position and thereby prevents any appreciable movement of the sashes in a direction which would open them. Such locking effect is produced by this fastener on the sashes after the same have been previously moved into any desired relative position and it is therefore possible to lock the sashes in a fully closed position when it is desired to cover the entire window opening and it is also possible to lock the sashes against relative opening movement after the same have been previously opened to the required eXtent for uncovering the windev. opening in order to ventilate the room.

When it is desired to carry the fastener from place to place as would be customary by salesmen or other persons who travel extensively' and wish to protect themselves against intrusion, thisl fastener may be readily attached to and removed from the window sashes of the respective rooms but if it is desired to affix the same permanently to any particular window, this may be done by means of a nail 3l or similar fastening which is passed through a central opening 32 in the brace plate 29 and into the upper surface of the meeting rail, as shown by dotted lines in Fig, l,

For the purpose of rendering the fastener inoperative and thus enabling the sashes to bc raised and lowered as much as desired, it is only necessary to move the clamping arm inwardly out of engagement from the gripping surface 20 and preferably into a position in which the saine depends from the inner end of the base, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, so that the clamping arm will not interfere with any curtains which may be hanging adjacent to the inner side of the window sashes.

This device is not only useful as a protection against unlawful entrance through a window from the outside of the room but the same is also a safeguard to prevent small children from opening windows and falling out of the same.

Moreover this window sash fastener permits of securely holding the sashes against movement relative to each other and to the frame in which they are mounted so that no rattling or noisy action of the same is possible when subjected to wind pressure, thereby avoiding annoyance or disturbance which usually occurs when window sashes are fitted loosely in the frame.

As a whole this sash fastener er holder is exceedingly simple in construction and capable of being produced at low cost. It is also light and compact and can be readily stowed away among the personal equipment of a traveler so that the same is available for use when required. Moreover, this fastener or holder is neat in appearance and therefore will not detract from the appearance of the window sashes upon which the same is mounted.

I claim as my invention:

A window sash fastener comprising a vcrtically swinging clamping arm provided on its front end with a gripping jaw adapted to engage one window sash and at its rear end with a transverse pivot hole, and a base which includes two 'r longitudinal bars arranged on opposite sides of said clamping arm, each having a downwardly projecting claw at its front end adapted to engage another window sash, a neck projecting upwardly from the rear end of each of said bars, and a pintle projecting transversely inward from the upper end of each of said necks into engagement with one end of said pivot hole, and a brace connecting the central parts of said bars, each longitudinal bar, claw, neck and pintle being construeted as a complete unit independent of the other bar, claw, neck and pintle, and said brace serving as the sole means of connecting said bars and holding said pintles in engagement with opposite ends of said pivot hole.

CARLTON 2'.. HAYES. 

